Reprinted  from 
PROCEEDINGS 


OF  THE 

AMERICAN  PHILOSOPHICAL  SOCIETY, 
HELD  AT  PHILADELPHIA,  FOR  PROMOTING  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE. 

Vol.  XXIX.  July  to  December,  1891.  Pages  208  to  218. 


A MYTHIC  TALE 

OF  THE 

ISLET  A INDIANS,  NEW  MEXICO; 

The  Eaee  of  the  Antelope  and  the  Hawk 
Around  the  Horizon. 


By  ALBERT  S.  GATSCHET. 


INDIAN  TEXT  ; TRANSLATION;  REMARKS  ON  THE  MYTHIC  TALE  AND  ON 
ISLETA  SUN-WORSHIP. 


MacCALLA  & COMPANY, 
Printers, 

237-9  DOCK  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA. 


Reprinted  from 

PROCEEDINGS 


OF  THE 

AMERICAN  PHILOSOPHICAL  SOCIETY, 
BEL1)  AT  PHILADELPHIA,  FOR  PROMOTING  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE. 


Vol.  XXIX.  July  to  December,  1891.  Pages  208  to  218. 


A MYTHIC  TALE 

OF  THE 

ISLETA  INDIANS, NEW  MEXICO; 

The  Race  of  the  Antelope  and  the  Hawk 
Around  the  Horizon. 


By  ALBERT  -S.  GATSCHET. 


INDIAN  TEXT  ; TRANSLATION ; REMARKS  ON  THE  MYTHIC  TALE  AND  ON 
ISLETA  SUN-WORSHIP. 


MacCALLA  & COMPANY, 
Printers, 

237*9  DOCK  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA. 


Gatschet.  | 


208 


[Dee.  18, 


\ 


A MYTHIC  TALE  OF  THE  ISLETA  INDIANS. 

By  Albert  S.  Gatschet. 

( Read  before  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  December  18,  1891.) 

The  study  of  the  Indian  languages  of  New  Mexico  has  been  neglected 
more  than  that  of  other  sections  of  our  wide  territory  and  it  is  with  much 
satisfaction  that  I present  in  print  the  first  continuous  text  worded  in  one 
of  them,  that  of  Isleta  Pueblo.  It  is  a dialect  of  the  Tewan,  or,  as  it  is 
called  in  J.  W.  Powell’s  classification,  the  Tanoan  family,  with  a transla- 
tion and  with  a paraphrasis,  which  is  more  comprehensible  to  the  general 


1391.] 


209 


[Gatschet. 


reader.  The  source  from  which  the  two  portions  of  the  tale  were  obtained 
is  mentioned  in  the  “Comments,”  with  all  the  particulars  needed. 

Text  I.  The  Boy- Antelope. 


hu'ba  wi'si 

and  two 


Pi'-‘li 

‘Bighead” 


tiiei,  ir-u 

to  the  village,  the  babe 


Kamantchu'  yowa'  natiiei'  we  ai'; 

U is  said  somewhere  a village  there  (was) 

u'-unin  t’hii'  ai.  Pi'-‘li  upiu'“u-ide  a-u'kwimban  yuwi'n’a 

young  people  lived  there.  “Bighead”  the  girl  being  pregnant  not  any 

(had) 

a'napa  hukwa'hi  pa'nat ; bepapa'-u  uba'  pa'  ai  hua'tcheban, 

place  to  be  delivered ; her  eider  brother  then  prairie  to  took  (her), 

hu'ba  u'kwoban.  Wi'wai  bepapa'ba  matcheba'n 

and  she  bore  a child.  Hereupon  her  elder  brother  brought  (her)  back 

ma'shuban  pa'  ai.  Hu'ba  wi'm’a 

he  left  prairie  upon.  Then  a 

ta‘li'ora-ide  u'-u  t’aba'n,  hu'bak  a'wa  d-ukemiba'n. 

female  antelope  the  babe  found,  and  she  brought  it  up. 

Wiba'-a  wi'm’a  shii  -i'de  shiitche'mik  ta‘li'ora  t’ha'bau 

Once  a hunter  while  hunting  a she-antelope  met 

wim’aaii'-a-u  fie'rk.  Ye'de  ii'wa-u-ide  wi'era-i  tamni'n 

(and)  a boy  along  with  (her).  That  boy  was  a runner  antelopes 

ai' ti  t’hurl'm.  Shii-au'ti  makwiba'k  naka'tchau  wi'ban 

than  faster.  From  the  chase  when  he  returned  notice  he  gave 

kie'nda  ta'-iskabe'-ide,  betu'winiban  wie'n  t’hii'  we-i'  shi'mba 

at  once  to  the  town-cacique,  (who)  proclaimed : four  days  after  all 

ta'-inin  ishu.  shanhi'nap:  “ wi'm’a  ii'wa-u-ide  tchie'minap 

the  people  on  a hunt  should  start : “ (that)  a boy  was  going  about 

tamni'n  an,  hu'ba  inaba'wa  l'shierhinap.”  Wie'n  t’hii  we'-i 

antelopes  with,  and  we  want  to  seize  him.”  Four  days  after 

shi'mba  tiiei'-ide  u'  her,  ‘li'o  her,  siia'  her  ishii-miba'n, 

the  whole  pueblo,  children  with,  women  with,  husbands  with  to  hunt  went, 

ibi  t’a  taba'n,  bi'tehu  l-u'beban  i'pie  t’a 

they  the  antelopes  found,  but  were  told,  that  not  the  antelopes 

^iieramhi'nab,  wei'ba-i-i  ii'wa-u  shie'rhinap  tin.  Ta£liora'-ide 

they  should  hurt,  merely  the  boy  to  get  hold  of  try.  The  female  antelope 

ana'  katchaba'n,  hu'ba  ii'wa-u  u'miban,  be-e'  ‘lipwerhi'nnap. 

was  informed,  and  the  boy  she  told  not  to  leave  (her). 

Ta  tamni'n  inakwi'er  p’i-amba'n,  hitiie'rwemik  buorti'm 

Then  the  antelopes  began  to  run,  and  while  they  ran  in  a ring 

ta‘liora'-ide  ii'wa-u  u'miwe.  “ Na'yan  kin  wu'hi  tiin-ii'/- 

the  female  antelope  the  boy  called  (to  her).  “ Presently  we  will  run  north- 

tii'“na-u;  hu'bak  inshu'minak,  natii  ak  kake'-i  kwimba'hi 


west; 


and 


while  we  pass  (the  ring)  on  the  line  your  mother  will  stand 

shie'rnai,  hu'bak  a shu'miwe-ifier,  akwei'tchebi,  hu'bak  u' 

on  the  left  side,  then  as  you  pass  (the  line)  you  will  fall  down,  and  there 


Gatschet . ] 


210 


[Dec.  18, 


kake'ba  hashie'rehi.” — Hu'bak  ba  hu'na  pu'aban. — Ka 

your  mother  will  catch  you.”  — And  (so)  it  occurred.  — That’s 

hui'kiem. 

your  tail. 


Text  II.  The  Race  of  the  Two  Champions. 
Ka'pio  kawe'-ide  na  tii'wiban  ^je'  shamba'k. 

“ Cold-Hearted  ” the  chief,  the  earth  pierced  through  (and)  came  out. 

above 

Shamba'g  pa-hwi'e  muba'n,  hu'ba  kai'ban  “Shi'ba 

After  emerging  a lake  he  saw,  and  he  named  (it)  “ Tears 

fun'-a-i,”  bu'ba  yeti'  itai'  we'bau  nabat’hii'  tii'ei. 

dark,”  then  thence  (his)  people  he  took  to  the  white  pueblo. 

Ye'dit’hii  ta'ban  wim’a  uatii'ei  we  ai',  na'dsbur’  tii'ei, 

Here  they  found  another  village  being  there,  the  yellow  village, 

yo-u-a'  i-uwe'-siem  tai'nin  pa'-iu  it’biipan  a'-i.  Hu'bak 

where  wicked  people  were  living.  Hereupon 

nadsbu'ri  tii'ei  wesie'mnin  l-ukwiewi'  a'-uban  nabat’hii' 

the  yellow  pueblo,  the  wicked  people,  racers  invited,  of  the  white 

tii'ei  hi'tai  we'-in  an.  Wi'en  t’hii'  ibemakiiamba'n, 

pueblo  its  people  (to  be)  with  them.  Four  days  did  they  make  ready, 


hu'bak 

then 

i I l 


sbi'mba  ibe'tiiyiban 

all  assembled, 

tii'ei.  Nabad’hii'  tii'ei  tai'nin 

pueblo.  The  white  pueblo  people 


hu'bak 

then 


tai'nin  an 

people 

hu'bak 


kumna' 

their  clothing 

natchu'ri  tii'ei 


yu'na 

thus 


imi'ban  natchu'ri 

proceeded  to  the  yellow 

natchu'ri  tii'ei 

, the  yellow  pueblo 

kierba'n,  ibenahumiba'n  ; 

they  did  bet ; 

hu‘li'mihi'nab : 


an 

(and) 


laid  down, 

• • 


and 

the  yellow  pueblo 

(expected  ‘ 

?)  to  be  victorious ; 

natchib 

'ri  tii'ei 

tai'nin 

ibe'wa  humiba'n, 

hitu'mik 

of  th  e y ellow  pueblo 

the  people 

their  lives 

staked, 

saying 

pa'v’a 

‘limba'-i 

‘ludehina'b 

natii'ei 

fi'er,  en 

hi'ria-a 

that  who 

was  beaten 

would  be  burnt 

the  village 

with,  with 

property 

we'-in. 

Nabat’hii' 

tii'ei 

hura 

ibe'wa 

humiba'n 

, wi'en 

his. 

The  white 

pueblo 

also 

their  lives 

staked, 

(and)  four 

t’hii' 

we-i'  kwie'win 

inwu'rihiei. 

Shi'mba 

tai'nin 

days 

after  the  racers 

were  to  start. 

All 

the  people 

hitii'tcbeban,  witchunaida'd  kwi'ewnin  hinmakii'“  ai.  Hu'bak 

assembled,  of  both  sides  the  racers  were  ready.  Hereupon 

thii'  be'kti  hiniiri'ban,  wi'm’a  na’hwe'-iakin  tai'nin  himi'ban, 

the  next  day  (they)  arrived,  on  one  eminence  the  people  went, 

hu'bak  yeti'  a'wan  wl'tad  inmi'ban.  Wi'wai 

and  from  there  (the  racers  went  further, 

onward 


(the  racers 
only) 


(From) 

Another 


wrm  a 

single 


na’hwe'yak  i'nkimbak,  natchu'ri  tii'ei  kwiewi'de  be  ta'kie 

eminence  when  they  disappeared,  of  the  yellow  pueblo  the  racer  into  a hawk 


189!.] 


211 


[Gatschet, 


peba'n.  Pi'enabe  tliba-u'  i'nmimik,  shumieifie'rk 

changed  himself.  Some  distance  towards  east  when  they  had  gone,  when  he  passed  by 

“ Hahaha',  ta-u'ide! 

“ Hahaha ! 


tua'mban 

he  said 

haku' 

good 

H ue'bai 

The  east 

takie'de 

the  hawk 

pie'nnak 

halfways 

tua'mban 

spoke 

‘lio'-u-ide 

old  woman 

ufetchihi'nab 

to  light  (them) 


nabat’hu' 

of  the  white 

tieremi'k ! 

by  ! 

inwa'mban 

having  reached 

tch’um' 

flew 

in'mimik 

having  gone 

ta-u'ide. 

to  the  antelope. 

wi'-en’a 

four 


pie  nnai, 

halfways, 

Wi'wai 

Again 


wi'p’a 

while  running  one 


tii'ei  kwiewi'de  : 

village  to  the  racer:  “Hahaha!  antelope 

me'tchu  awa'  wa'nhi  hue'bai.” 

perhaps  you  will  reach  the  east.” 

hue'bai  kwie'r  tii'-u  hinmabo'ribak ; 

from  east  towards  north  they  turned ; 

mi'mi-e-i  hue'bai  kwi'er  tii' 

ahead  from  east  towards 

wi'rn’a  ‘lio'-u-ide  nabat’hu' 

one  old  woman  from  the  white 

Ta-u'ide  bewi'niban  hu'bak 

stopped  and 

wie'tcheban, 

gave  him, 

pie'nnai,  wi'ba 

(when)  halfways,  one 

pie'nnab,  ’ba  hue'kwi 


The  antelope 

u'wir 

reed-pipes 

hue'bai 

from  east 


wi'ba 

one 

hue'r] 

one  from  west  halfways,  one  from  south 

ta-u'-ide  tlie'uweban  hue'bai  kwier 


u ; 

north ; 

tiiei'ti 

pueblo 

ye'de 

that 

u'bemik 

telling  (him) 

hue'-u-i 

from  north 


pie  nnai. 

halfways. 

pie'nuai ; 

some  distance; 


mi'mik 

diile  run  nil 

ye'niban, 


it  darkened. 

beta'u 

shook  itself 

pa'nab, 


nearly,  the  Ijawk 


the  antelope  ran  east  towards 

i'wir  fe'tchiban;  ifa'ribak  be  fi' 

reed-pipe  he  lighted  ; when  he  had  done  clouds 

hio-ati'n  mi'mik  benamakwerkie'-iban, 

(and)  a short  way  moving  on  did  wrap  in  (both), 

Yo-a'btinbak  pa'  ‘hTlaidewa'na,  ta-u'-ide 

After  a while  rain  fell  in  heavy  drops,  the  antelope 

bai'tin  besu'rbau ; t’a'  hue'-u-i  wa'nhi 

and  then  wiped  off  (the  moisture);  almost  the  north-point  going  to  reach 

takie'  kli'wan,  takie'  mo'bak  shi'mba  pati'n 


it  met, 


the  hawk  it  found 


all  over 


wet 


Shumiei'fierk  tu-a'mban  : “Hahaha'! 

As  he  passed  it  said  (to  him):  “ Haha  ! 

i-uta'manin ; 

treat  each  other, 


vu  ni 

in  this 


nu' 

way 


sie'rmn 

men 


tu‘la'ak  aru'mig. 

on  a cottonwood  tree  crying. 

haku'  tieremi'k, 

good  by ! 

me'tchu  hue'nai  a wa'nhi;”  hu'bak  ta'-uide  bepi'kiirwan, 

perhaps  the  west-point  you  will  reach;”  then  the  antelope  started, 

hue'nai  kwir  bemabuo'rimik  takie'-ide  bakiiweba'n. 

the  west  towards  veering  about  the  hawk  overtook  (it). 


Shumiei'fier  u'beban : 

Ashe  passed  by  he  shouted : 

Yu'ni  nu'  sie'rnin 

In  this  manner  men 

a wa'nhi ! ” 

you  will  arrive  ! ” 


ta'-uide. 


ta  sim 

now 


“ antelope, 

ibe-i-utama'nin. 

act  towards  each  other. 


aku'  tieremi'k ! 

good  by ! 

Me'tchu  hwe'kui 

May  be  south 


Gatschet.] 


212 


[Dec.  18, 


Takie'-ide  sbuba'n  wi'wai ; ta-u'ide  be-i'-eniban,  hu'bak 

The  hawk  passed  by  again;  the  antelope  arose  (from  the  ground),  then 

iwi'r  fetchiba'n,  wi'wai  bena'  p’i'  pe'ban,  mi'namim. 

(another)  reed-pipe  he  lighted,  again  did  cloudy  it  become,  it  darkened. 

Hu'bak  ta-u'ide  bemadii  aru'itin  bepi'kurwan,  wi'wai 

Then  the  antelope  did  roll  itself  on  the  ground  did  start  on  a run,  again 

hwe'kui  wa'nhi  pa'nai  takie'  kii'wan  shi'mba  pa'tinmuk 

at  the  south  arriving  nearly  the  hawk  it  met  all  over  wet 

aru'mig,  beshu'rmik  tu‘la'-ag  ik.  “ Hako'amiam ! 

screaming,  wiping  himself  on  a cottonwood  tree  while  sitting.  “ Try  (again) ! 

yu'ni  nu  sie'rnin  yut’ama'nin!  t’a' ha'ku  tie'remik ; sim 

in  this  manner  men  act  towards  each  other ! now  good  by ; again 

me'tchu  hwe'kui  a wa'nhi.”  Wi'wai  ta-u'ide  be  madiina- 

perhaps  to  the  south  you  get  will.”  Again  the  antelope  while  rolling 

rume'tin  bepiku'rban,  wi'wai  wa'kwi  wa'nhi  pa'nab,  takie'de 

itself  started  to  run,  again  at  the  south  going  to  arrive  almost,  the  hawk 

bakiiweba'n.  Shumie'ifier  t’a'-u  tu'amban  tu'mig:  “haku' 

caught  up  with.  As  he  passed  to  the  antelope  he  spoke  saying:  “good 

tieremi'k,  hiu'ni  nu'  na'dshur’  tli'ei  siina'nin  i-utama'nin.” 

by,  in  this  way  of  the  yellow  pueblo  the  people  treat  each  other.” 

Wi'wai  wa'kui  kwier  pie'rmab  ta'-uide  mi'mik  wibaki'n 

Again  south  towards  some  distance  the  antelope  while  going  another 

iwir'  fatchiba'n,  wi'wai  banamakoarkiei'ban,  no'amim ; 

reed-pipe  lighted,  again  clouds  formed,  (and)  it  darkened ; 

we'bai  wa'nhi  pa'nai  takie'  kii'ban.  Shumiei'fier 

(when)  at  the  east  it  was  to  arrive  nearly  the  hawk  it  overtook.  As  he  passed  by 

takie'  tu'amban  tumi'k : “ Ta'sim  haku'  tieremi'k  ! vu'ni  nu' 

to  the  hawk  it  spoke  saying:  ‘‘Again  good  by!  in  this  way 

nabat’hii'  tii'ei  tai'nin  i-utama'nin.” 

the  white  pueblo  people  treat  each  other.” 

Hu'bak  shuba'n ; ta'-in  wa'nhi  pa'nat,  i-o-a'  hintai' 

Then  it  passed  by  (him);  when  on  the  point  of  arriving  where  they  were  to  be 

pe'hi  pana't,  takie'-ide  wamba'n  tii'ai,  ta'-uide  we'-i 

changed  into  people,  the  hawk  arrived  behind,  the  antelope  just 

weri'mmik.  Takie'-ide  wa'na  wi'm’a  na^re'yak  ; ta-u'ide 

starting  (again).  The  hawk  arrived  on  one  eminence;  when  the  antelope 

weri'mmik  takie'-ide  bepiku'rban.  Wi'wai  wi'm’a  naifreya'k 

started  the  hawk  began  to  run.  Again  to  another  eminence 

nabat’hii'  tii'ei  ii'waide  wieri'bak,  t’ai'nin  bamu'tcheban ; 

of  the  white  pueblo  the  boy  arriving,  the  people  perceived  (him) ; 

(runner) 

natchu'ri  tii'ei  tai'nin  hitun'we:  “ Hita'  nabat’hii'  tii'ei 

of  the  yellow  pueblo  the  inhabitants  said  to  themselves : ‘‘Now  the  white  village 

kina'  we  i'tin  na'  wem.”  Nabat’hii'  tii'ei  tai'nin  tu'ban : 

ours  now  surely  our  own  is.”  The  white  pueblo  people  said: 


1891.] 


213 


[Gatscbet. 


“ Nabat’bii' 

“ The  white 

kina'  we 

ours  now 


tii'ei  kwiewi'de  tcb’um'  l'hi,  na'dsburi  tii'pi 

pueblo  racer  ahead  is  going,  the  yellow  pueblo 

i'tin  na'  wem.”  Wl'tchuna  ida'd  tai'nm 

surely  ours  is.”  On  both  sides  the  people 


i-u'sbu  mi'ban,  bu'bak  i-u'sbue  nabat’bii'  tii'ei  ii'waide 

to  meet  (the  racers)  went,  and  they  met  the  white  pueblo  boy 

tcb’u'm  i'hik  ta'-in  wa'mbak.  Nabat’hii'  tii'ei  bata' 

ahead  coming  when  arriving  (at  the  starting  place).  The  white  pueblo  then 

wie'n  tii'  we'-i  shi'mba  nadshu'ri  tii'ei  wesi'emnin 

four  day  s after  all  of  the  yellow  pueblo  wicked  (people) 

hitiinibe'itin  bi‘lu'deban  natii'ei  fierda't.  Bi'tchu  wi'm’a 

were  gathered  (and)  were  burnt  the  village  with.  But  one 


wesi'emide  we  t’bate'wa,  hu'ba  we  ‘lu'deba;  bu'ba  ye'ti-i'ku 

wicked  (fellow)  not  was  found,  hence  not  was  burnt ; and  from  then 


nva'n  t’hii'  kim  we'siem  t’hii'm . 

to  this  day  we  have  bad  (people)  living. 


Translation  of  the  Mythic  Tale, 

I. 

Somewhere,  at  one  time,  there  was  a village,  they  say,  and  two  “ Big 
Head’’  (Pi'-‘li)  children  lived  there.  One  of  them,  the  “Big  Head” 
young  woman,  being  with  child,  was  unable  to  find  some  spot  where  she 
could  be  delivered  ; so  she  was  taken  by  her  brother  to  the  prairie,  where 
she  was  delivered.  He  left  the  babe  upon  the  prairie  and  took  his  sister 
back  to  the  village.  A female  antelope,  finding  the  infant,  brought  it  up. 

Once  a passing  hunter  met  a female  antelope,  the  boy  being  with  her. 
That  boy  could  run  faster  than  any  antelope,  and  when  the  hunter  reached 
home  he  notified  a clan-chief,  who  ordered  that  four  days  after  all  the 
people  should  start  out  on  a hunt,  “ for  a boy  has  been  seen  strolling  with 
antelopes  and  we  must  get  hold  of  him.”  Four  days  after,  the  whole 
pueblo,  men,  women  and  children,  went  out  on  a hunt  and  found  the 
antelopes.  They  were  told  not  to  wound  or  slay  any  of  the  antelopes,  but 
to  try  to  catch  that  boy  only.  The  female  antelope  having  noticed  this 
enjoined  the  boy  not  to  part  from  her  side.  When  the  other  antelopes 
began  to  run  in  a ring,  that  antelope  called  the  boy  to  her,  and  said  to 
him  : “Now  we  will  go  to  the  northwest,  and  when  we  pass  the  line  of  the 
hunters  your  mother  will  stand  on  the  left  side,  and,  as  if  passing,  you  will 
fall  to  the  ground  and  your  mother  will  catch  you.”  And  so  it  was  done. 
Now  it  is  your  turn  ! 

II. 

The  clan-chief  of  the  “ Cold-hearted  people  ” made  his  way  through  the 
earth’s  crust  and  came  to  the  surface.  After  emerging  from  there  he  saw 
a lake  and  named  it  “Dark  Tears,”  and  then  he  took  his  clan  to  the 


Gats  chet.] 


214 


[Dec.  18, 


".White  Pueblo.”  Near  it  he  found  another  village,  the  "Yellow 
Pueblo,”  inhabited  by  people  skilled  in  witchcraft.  Then  the  Yellow 
Pueblo  of  wizards  challenged  the  people  of  the  White  Pueblo  to  have  a 
race  with  them.  They  prepared  themselves  during  four  days,  when  they 
gathered  to  proceed  to  the  Yellow  Pueblo.  And  the  White  Pueblo  peo- 
ple and  the  Yellow  Pueblo  people  deposited  their  garments  on  the  ground 
and  made  bets.  The  Yellow  Pueblo  people  expected  victory  with 
certainty,  and  put  their  lives  at  stake,  proclaiming  that  the  party 
conquered  would  be  burnt,  together  with  their  village  and  all  their 
property.  Four  days  after  the  racers  were  to  start.  The  people  all 
assembled  and  the  racers  of  both  parties  made  themselves  ready.  The 
next  day  the  crowds  of  people  ascended  a hill,  whereas  the  racers  alone 
went  onward  from  there. 

When  on  their  race  they  descended  from  another  hill  and  were  lost 
sight  of,  the  racer  of  the  Yellow  Pueblo  transformed  himself  into  a hawk. 
When  they  had  gone  quite  a distance  east,  he  overtook  Antelope,  the 
champion  racer  of  the  White  Pueblo,  and  said  to  him  : "Hahaha  ! good- 
by,  Antelope  ! Perhaps  you  will  be  alive  still  when  you  reach  the  east 
point.”  Having  attained  that  goal  they  turned  from  east  to  north  ; Hawk 
flew  ahead  of  Antelope,  and  when  they  had  gone  halfway  an  old  woman 
from  the  White  Pueblo  stopped  Antelope  and  spoke  to  him.  She  gave  him 
four  ceremonial  reed-pipes,  and  told  him  to  light  one  of  them  when  half- 
way from  east  to  north,  another  when  halfway  from  the  north,  another 
when  halfway  from  the  west,  and  the  last  one  when  halfway  between 
south  and  east,  the  starting  place. 

Starting  again,  Antelope  ran  towards  the  east  for  some  distance  and 
lighted  one  of  the  pipes  while  on  the  run.  When  he  had  finished  smoking 
it  clouds  arose  which  moved  onward  and  enveloped  both  racers,  so  that  it 
became  dark.  A while  after  rain  began  to  fall  in  heavy  drops.  Antelope 
shook  his  body  and  wiped  off  the  moisture.  When  on  the  point  of  reach- 
ing the  goal  at  the  north,  he  fell  in  with  Hawk,  who  was  dripping  wet 
and  sat  on  a cottonwood  tree  screaming.  Passing  by,  Antelope  said  to 
Hawk:  "Halloo!  good-by!  this  is  the  way  men  treat  each  other,  and 
perhaps  you  may  reach  the  west  point.”  Antelope  started  again,  veered 
around  towards  the  west  and  was  overtaken  by  Hawk,  who  shouted  to 
him:  "Antelope,  now  good-by!  in  this  manner  men  act  towards  each 
other  ; may  be  you  will  arrive  south  sometime  ! ” Hawk  passed  by  and 
Antelope  arose  from  the  ground,  lit  another  reed-pipe,  which  brought  on 
cloudiness  and  darkness  again.  Antelope,  after  rolling  on  the  ground, 
started  on  his  run  again,  and  when  he  had  arrived  nearly  at  the  south  he 
overtook  Hawk,  wet  all  over  from  the  torrential  rain,  screaming  and 
wiping  the  water  off  while  sitting  on  a cottonwood  tree,  and  said  to  him: 
“ Try  it  once  more  ! In  this  manner  people  act  towards  each  other  ; now 
good-by,  perhaps  you  will  get  to  the  south  point.” 

Again  Antelope  rolled  on  the  ground  and  started  out,  and  when  on  the 
point  of  reaching  the  south  he  was  overtaken  by  Hawk.  Hawk  passed 


1891.] 


215 


[Gatschet. 


him  and  said  : ‘‘Good-by  ! this  is  the  manner  by  which  the  people  of  the 
Yellow  Pueblo  treat  each  other.” 

When  they  had  arrived  at  the  place  where  human  form  had  to  be  reas- 
sumed Hawk  arrived  second,  and  Antelope  was  on  the  way  of  setting  out 
again.  Hawk  came  upon  a hill  and  when  Antelope  started,  Hawk  (who 
was  transformed  into  a man)  began  to  run.  The  boy  racer  of  the  White 
Pueblo,  who  had  been  Antelope,  was  now  sighted  by  the  people,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Yellow  Pueblo  said  among  themselves:  “Now  the 
White  Pueblo  is  certainly  our  own  ! ” But  those  of  the  White  Pueblo 
said  : “Our  racer  is  ahead  of  the  other  and  the  Yellow  Pueblo  is  now 
ours  to  a certainty.”  The  people  of  both  sides  who  went  to  greet  the 
racers,  met  the  boy  of  the  White  Pueblo  ahead  of  his  rival  when  both 
came  to  the  starting  place. 

Four  days  after  this  all  residents  of  the  Yellow  Pueblo  of  wizards  were 
gathered  and  burnt,  and  their  village  also.  But  one  of  their  wicked  num- 
ber could  not  be  found,  and  hence  was  not  burnt ; and  from  that  time 
until  now  we  therefore  have  some  wizard  people  living. 

Comments  on  the  Mythic  Tale. 

The  mythic  tale  embodied  in  the  above  pages  is  very  popular  among  the 
Isleta  Indians,  and  I obtained  it  from  one  of  them,  Henry  Kendall,  who, 
in  1885  and  for  some  years  previous,  was  a pupil  of  the  Indian  Training 
School  at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania.  Considering  his  youthful  years,  he 
showed  remarkable  intelligence,  and  could  reply  to  almost  all  the  ques- 
tions I propounded  to  him  on  the  language  and  ethnology  of  his  native 
tribe. 

The  legend  is  divided  into  two  parts.  I have  placed  the  description  of  the 
adventures  of  the  boy -antelope  before  the  main  story,  though  I obtained 
it  as  a secondary  appendix  to  the  same,  and  have  to  state  that  this  part  is 
incomplete  at  its  end,  for  it  does  not  mention  the  capture  of  the  boy  by 
the  Isleta  hunters,  which  had  been  the  cause  for  sending  them  out  on  a 
hunt.  He  and  his  mother  were  called  “ Big  Head”  on  account  of  their 
bulky  hair,  flowing  loosely  around  their  heads,  which  made  the  boy’s 
head  appear  to  be  of  preternatural  size  when  the  wind  was  blowing  into 
his  hair  during  a race. 

The  words,  “now  it  is  your  turn,”  have  no  reference  to  the  story,  but 
indicate  that  the  tale  is  finished  and  that  another  narrator  has  his  turn  to 
count  another  story.  In  the  original  these  words  convey  the  idea  : “ That 
is  your  tail,”  ka  huFkiem. 

As  to  the  legendary  migration  of  the  “ Cold-hearted  ” clan  out  of  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  towards  the  “Lake  of  the  Dark  Tears,”  the  Indians 
of  Cochiti  and  Taos,  New  Mexico,  are  acquainted  with  it  also,  and  relate 
that  the  lake  was  to  the  north,  in  what  is  now  Colorado,  and  that  they 
saw  it  themselves.  That  populations  originated  from  the  earth  and 
crawled  out  of  it  through  an  opening,  is  a myth  very  frequently  found  in 


Gatschet.] 


21 6 


[Dec.  18, 


both  hemispheres.  It  is  very  conspicuous  for  instance  in  the  mythology 
of  the  Iroquois  and  Maskoki  tribes  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  United 
States,  and  among  the  Yokat,  the  Porno  and  the  Wintun  in  California. 

Where  the  White  and  the  Yellow  Pueblo  were  nobody  can  tell,  but  the 
colors  may  be  significative,  for  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  West  possess  a 
peculiar  color  symbolism.  The  Indians  of  Isleta  exhibit  certain  colors  by 
means  of  paint  on  their  faces  and  garments  ; so  the  red-eye  section  uses 
red  and  white;  the  black-eye  section,  black  and  white;  the  earth  gens, 
white  and  yellow  ; the  maize  gens,  white,  yellow,  red,  sometimes  also 
black. 

Their  symbol  colors  for  the  points  of  the  compass  are  white  for  the  east ; 
from  there  they  go  to  the  north,  which  is  black  ; to  the  west,  which  is 
blue,  and  to  the  south,  which  is  red. 

The  race  proposed  by  the  yellow  or  witchcraft  pueblo  and  performed 
by  representatives  of  both  towns  is  a race  around  the  world.  The  story  is 
told  very  graphically  and  the  oft-repeated  exclamations  and  taunts  which 
one  runner  shouts  to  his  rival  are  ceremonially  used  up  to  our  day,  though 
some  of  the  terms  are  remnants  of  an  archaic  dialect.  The  reed-pipe, 
cigarette  or  calumet  is  a piece  of  reed  three  to  four  inches  long,  which  is 
filled  with  tobacco  and  smoked  only  for  ceremonial  purposes.  Many  are 
now  found  in  the  sacrificial  caves  of  the  New  Mexican  Indians.  It  is 
thought  to  have  the  power  to  bring  on  rain-showers  after  a drought,  but 
can  be  lit  only  by  ministrants  of  sun  worship.  In  fact  all  rain-clouds 
originate  from  its  smoke  and  the  carrizo-pipe  plays  an  important  role 
throughout  the  Pueblo  legends. 

In  another  version  of  the  same  story,  which  Mr.  Charles  F.  Lummis 
has  published  in  the  September  number  of  St.  Nicholas  (1891,  pp.  828-835), 
the  reeds  were  handed  to  the  boy,  not  by  an  old  witch,  but  by  a mole, 
who  for  this  purpose  crept  out  of  his  burrow  and  accompanied  his  gift  by 
well-meant  advice. 

The  people  of  the  Kapio  gens  or  clan  are  called  the  strong,  cold-hearted 
or  persistent  people  on  account  of  the  persistence  and  energy  which  they 
evinced  in  digging  their  way  through  the  crust  of  the  earth  up  to  its  sun- 
lit surface,  following  the  behests  of  their  clan-chief.  There  are  many  of 
these  clans  in  the  Isleta  Pueblo,  and  A.  F.  Bandelier  has  heard  the  names 
of  fourteen,  whereas  from  Kendall’s  indications  I obtained  the  Indian 
names  of  eight  only,  the  Kapio  among  them.  All  gentes  seem  to  belong 
either  to  the  red -eyed  or  to  the  black-eyed  section.  Of  the  other  clans  we 
name  the  shi'u  tai'nin  or  eagle  people,  the  na'm  tai'nin  or  earth  people,  the 
i'-e  tai'nin  or  maize  people,  and  the  liu'makun  or  game  people. 

According  to  Mr.  Lummis’  version,  the  white  pueblo  divided  the  spoils 
of  the  witch  pueblo  with  the  Isleta  Indians,  and  later  on  removed  to  their 
village  themselves.  Such  a removal  to  Isleta  is  also  reported  of  some 
remnants  of  the  Tigua  people,  though  the  principal  pueblo  of  these  was 
near  Bernalillo,  on  the  bank  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

The  two  runners  represent  some  nature  powers  interfered  with  by  the 


1891.] 


217 


[Gatschet. 


raingods,  as  the  winds  or  the  storm  clouds  chasing  each  oilier  in  the 
skies.  The  direction  taken  by  the  hawk  and  the  antelope  is  the  same 
as  that  by  which  the  calumet  smoke  is  blown  out  by  the  participants  in 
the  quarterly  sun-worship  festival. 

The  wording  of  the  two  stories  is  incomplete  in  several  respects.  So 
the  transmutation  of  the  racers  into  animals  for  the  purpose  of  outdoing 
each  other  is  not  expressly  mentioned,  although  the  story  cannot  be 
understood  without  it.  The  other  version  also  states  that  the  boy-child 
left  by  his  uncle  and  mother  upon  the  prairie,  w7as  carried  to  the  antelopes 
by  a coyote,  after  which  a mother  antelope,  who  had  lost  her  fawn, 
adopted  the  tiny  stranger  as  her  own. 

By  an  ingenious  act  of  the  mother  antelope  the  boy  was  surrendered 
again  to  his  real  human  mother  ; for  when  the  circle  of  the  hunters  grew 
smaller  around  the  herd,  the  antelope  took  the  boy  to  the  northeast, 
where  his  mother  stood  in  a white  robe.  At  last  these  two  were  the  only 
ones  left  within  the  circle,  and  when  the  antelope  broke  through  the  line 
on  the  northeast,  the  boy  followed  her  and  fell  at  the  feet  of  his  own  human 
mother,  who  sprang  forward  and  clasped  him  in  her  arms. 

To  acquire  a correct  pronunciation  of  this  and  other  Tanoan  (or  Tehuan) 
dialects  is  not  a very  difficult  task  for  Americans,  after  they  have  suc- 
ceeded in  articulating  the  ip  i and  j,  as  sounds  pronounced  with  the  teeth 
closed  ; the  i is  uvular  besides,  a,  6,  ii  are  softened  vowels  or  Umlaute  ; 
a,  i,  u indicate  a hollow,  deep  sound  of  a,  i,  u,  and  e is  the  e of  butler, 
sinker ; ‘1  is  an  1 pronounced  by  pressing  the  fore  part  of  the  tongue 
against  the  palate  ; “ and  ~ mark  length  and  brevity  of  vowels. 

To  give  a full  glossary  and  grammatic  explanation  of  the  texts  is  not 
within  the  scope  of  this  article.  But  some  of  the  more  necessary  elucida- 
tions are  as  follows  : 

Substantives  descriptive  of  persons,  of  animals  and  of  inanimate  objects 
seen  to  move  spontaneously,  are  made  distinct  in  the  singular  number  by 
the  suffix  -ide,  in  the  plural  by  -nin,  “many”;  while  inanimates  are  in 
the  plural  marked  by  -n,  and  in  the  singular  show  no  suffix.  In  verbs, 
the  ending  -ban  or  -wan  points  to  past  tense,  -hinap,  -hinab,  -innap,  to  a 
subjunctive  or  conditional  mode,  and  a final  -k  to  a participle. 

The  Sun  Worship  of  Isleta  Pueblo. 

There  is  so  much  similarity  among  the  New  Mexico  Indians  in  appear- 
ance, customs,  manners  and  ceremonial,  that  we  need  not  be  surprised 
at  the  equality  of  sun  worship  among  all  their  pueblos,  which  is  shared 
even  by  the  Quera  Indians,  who  speak  languages  differing  entirely  from 
those  of  the  Tanoan  family.  So  a sketch  of  the  Isleta  sun  worship  will 
do  for  all  of  them. 

The  town  of  Isleta  now  holds  about  1040  inhabitants  and  is  divided  in 
two  parts  by  a wide  street,  called  the  plaqa.  The  northern  portion  is 
inhabited  by  the  Isleta  medicinemen  or  “fathers”  (ka-a'-ide,  plural 


Gatschet.j 


218 


[Dec.  18, 1891, 


kai'nin),  the  southern  by  the  Laguna  medicine  men,  who  are  called  so 
for  having  acquired  their  art  in  Laguna,  a Quera  pueblo.  The  differences 
in  the  ceremonial  of  both  sections,  each  of  which  has  a separate  medicine 
house,  are  slight,  and  during  the  ceremonies  the  two  “schools”  of 
medicine-men  supplement  each  other.  They  are  subject  to  the  watchful 
care  of  the  captains  of  war,  of  whom  there  are  four  or  five  in  each  of  the 
two  sections. 

There  are  four  annual  periods  of  ceremonial  sun  worship  in  their 
pueblos,  and  every  one  of  them  is  followed  by  a dance.  The  first  of  these 
festival  periods  occurs  in  September,  the  second  in  December,  the  third  in 
February,  because  wheat  is  planted  in  the  month  after  ; the  fourth,  less 
important,  a short  time  after  the  third.  They  last  four  days,  not  including 
the  dance,  and  are  evidently  instituted  for  the  purpose  of  influencing  the 
sun  deity  in  favor  of  granting  a bountiful  crop  to  the  Indians. 

Both  medicine  houses  are  long-shaped,  running  from  west  to  east, 
where  the  entrance  is.  The  fire  burns  not  in  the  middle,  but  at  the 
eastern  end,  the  chimney  being  to  the  left  of  the  entrance.  In  the  roof  a 
square  opening  is  left  for  the  sunlight  to  penetrate.  Women  are  admitted 
to  the  house,  but  everything  that  is  non-Indian  is  excluded  ; none  of  the 
white  man’s  dress  or  shoes  are  admitted  ; the  participants  have  to  enter 
without  moccasins  and  to  wear  the  hair  long. 

The  ceremony  takes  place  at  night,  and  begins  with  the  following  act 
of  worship  to  the  sun  (tu'jide)  ; each  medicine-man  carries  a short  buck- 
skin bag  filled  with  half-ground  cornmeal ; he  is  strewing  the  contents 
on  the  floor  before  the  public,  while  an  allocution  is  held  to  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars.  The  Indians  grasp  the  meal  from  the  ground,  and 
breathe  upon  it  to  blow  off  any  disease  from  their  bodies,  for  it  is  thought 
the  meal  will  absorb  or  “ burn  ” any  disease  invisibly  present.  Then  the 
medicine-men  throw  the  re3t  of  the  cornmeal  in  a line  or  “road,”  while 
“sowing ” it  on  the  ground  to  the  sun.  When  all  the  meal  is  spent,  they 
blow  again  upon  their  hands  and  breathe  up  health  from  them.  This  is 
done  during  four  consecutive  nights,  during  which  the  medicine-men 
abstain  entirely  from  eating,  drinking  and  sleeping,  but  are  allowed  to 
smoke.  The  calumet  or  reed-pipe,  which  is  presented  during  the  above 
act,  is  lighted  and  the  smoke  puffed  first  to  the  east,  then  to  the  north, 
west,  south,  then  to  the  sky  and  to  the  centre  of  the  earth.  No  moon 
worship  exists  among  these  Indians. 

On  the  fifth  day  commence  the  dances,  which  are  held  under  a large 
concourse  of  people  and  last  from  eight  p.  m.  to  four  o’clock  in  the  morning. 
The  medicine-house  holds  about  three  hundred  people,  and  nobody  is 
allowed  to  leave  before  the  above-mentioned  hour,  when  the  conjurers 
allow  the  people  to  breathe  fresh  air. 


[In  each  word  of  the  Isleta  text,  the  emphasized  syllable  is  marked  by 
an  acute  accent  standing  after  the  vowel.] 


